WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- The New Orleans Saints are almost through their first phase of training camp.

Today marks the fifth practice of the week, and per the rules of the collective bargaining agreement, the Saints must take a mandatory day off Wednesday.

ABOUT YESTERDAY: After fighting off the rain Sunday, the Saints were able to stay dry during Monday’s session. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan let his displeasure with his unit be known during a news conference last week, but the group rebounded Monday, with cornerback Keenan Lewis making a big impact by breaking up two passes. Undrafted rookie safety Pierre Warren also continues to flash, and showed up big with an interception. On offense, running back Khiry Robinson had a nice day, leading to much discussion during the post-practice news conferences about the possibility of New Orleans’ offense becoming more balanced. It also marked the first time that wide receiver Kenny Stills went through conditioning work after injuring his quad Friday. It could be a sign that he is nearing a return to practice.

ON TODAY’S AGENDA: The Saints will be in action today at 7:50 a.m. CDT and a walkthrough session at 4:30 p.m. The team operates on a similar schedule Tuesday before taking a day off Wednesday. Players scheduled to be available for interviews are QB Drew Brees, QB Ryan Griffin, ILB Curtis Lofton, S Rafael Bush, FB Erik Lorig.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: It will be interesting to see if the Saints can carry the momentum of Monday’s strong practice into Tuesday. Head coach Sean Payton also said that wide receiver Robert Meachem (back) and offensive lineman Ben Grubbs could be back in the next few days. It wouldn’t be surprising if they are given Tuesday off to buy an extra day off, but Payton could have different plans. We will continue to keep an eye on the various battles unfolding throughout camp. The most heavily contested one right now is at center (Tim Lelito vs. Jonathan Goodwin), but there some movement could be made for the final spots at safety and wide receiver. The depth chart at cornerback is also remains fluid.